Page 26 of Kidnapped by her Highland Enemy

“Thank ye,” Maisie said as they came to a broad door.

Larid McKenna bowed away as she knocked on the slab.

“Enter!”

Pushing in, she saw Cinead standing by a window, gazing out. He did not turn, but he addressed her, “How may I help ye, lass?”

“Sir, I ken ye might have some doubt that the connection between Lucas and me is fleeting. I want to assure ye, it’s nae,” Maisie said respectfully.

Cinead met her gaze with a long, searching look that ended with him nodding.

“Listen lass, I may be Lucas’s father and I have a strong hold on many affairs, but I havenae any with what Lucas does with sections of his life.

Aye, I tried to match him with other ladies but that splintered apart like ice under a heavy man’s boot.

Besides, Lucas is a smart man and he has the keenest judge of character I have ever beheld.

If he has chosen to be with ye, I am the last one to object. ”

Relief washed through Maisie like Loch Ness breaking its banks. “Thank ye, sir. The next thing I came about is that Lucas fears that the man who sent ye and me faither similar threats will act again, now that he kens our clans will be aligned. We need to plan against that.”

Cinead looked duly impressed and gestured to a set of chairs. “Aye, we should. What do ye have in mind?”

Lucas’s limbs were humming with power as he took the stairs to his father’s rooms. After an invigorating training exercise with his men, and a long swim on the loch beyond the hills of his house, he headed to his rooms to dress in better clothes.

Maisie was lounging at the window with a cup of warm milk and she turned with a smile. “I saw ye and yer men training.”

Closing the door behind him, he grinned, “And?”

“If that is how ye are training,” she rested the cup, came to him and wrapped her arms around his neck. “I’d hate to see ye in true battle.”

One of his hands dropped to her hips and he curved the other over her backside. “God forbid ye will.”

Maisie stood on her toes and kissed him and he gave her the chance to lead before he took it from her.

When she pulled away, he sought reentrance with his tongue, and with a whimper, she welcomed him.

A low groan bubbled in her throat and she kissed like a wanton woman.

He could feel her need, her desire—one he shared—but he gladly quenched her hunger, slowing the heated embrace to a simple one, his kiss expressing more love than he ever could with words.

Maisie, his Maisie. She belonged to him--only him. Cupping her face, he leaned into her ear, “I have something planned for us tonight, lass.”

Her eyes glimmered. “And what is that?”

“Ye’ll have to wait and see,” he laughed, going to his trunks and pulling a fresh set of clothes. Dressed, he crouched and slid his customary dagger into his boot. “Were ye up here all morning?”

“Nay,” she perched herself on the edge of the bed. “I went to speak with yer faither about the threat I can still feel lingering over me head.”

He straightened, “I’ve been meaning to talk with him about it too. What plans have ye two made?”

Instead of readily replying, Maisie looked at him in wonder, her lips slipped open as well. “Are—are ye nae angry that I went to him without ye?”

Lucas shook his head, “I already ken ye have a good head on yer shoulders, Maisie. I wouldnae be surprised if ye ken war tactics too an’ by the by, when ye go to me faither, ye are nay going alone, yer going in me place.

Yer soon to be me wife and every laird’s lady kens that there will be times when she must take up the mantle of warrior too. ”

“We talked about the guards and how they should begin scouting harder on the lesser used roads to the castle,” Maisie said. “We talked about opening the underground passages under the keep so we could run if we had to.”

Sitting near her, Lucas lifted a brow, “How did ye ken we have passages under there?”

Maisie shrugged, “For an ancient clan like yers, it’s only common-sense.”

“What else?” He asked.

“That I have a guard with me at times when ye are away,” she wrinkled her nose in distaste. “I daenae fancy that one much but that too is right. And he decided to make some false reports, meaning that—”

“I am nae where I am told I would be,” Lucas nodded. “I’m familiar with how me faither fights his battles, lass, and ye two are right on all accounts. These tactics will work.”

Maisie’s eyes suddenly drifted far off and Lucas’s brows lowered as he covered her hand with his. “What’s troubling ye?”

“When I remember all the times I offered to help me faither with such planning and he shooed me away as if I were a buzzing fly in his ear…” she sobered, “But yer faither listened to me and agreed without hesitation, I—I—”

He pulled her into a hug, and kissed her temple, “Tis all right lass. Yer going to realize ye are treasured here, nay only with me, but with me family as well.”

Instead of the tears he had expected to feel dripping down the side of his neck, a warmed breath skittered over his skin. “It only makes me consider things in a unique way, that’s all.”

“I ken,” he kissed her again, then took a long pause. “Daenae be afraid to speak yer mind, Maisie. Ye might never ken who will listen.”

She smiled, “So, what do ye have planned for tonight?”

“In seven or so hours, ye’ll see.”

Maisie gazed out at the silent stretch of moonlit water and then to Lucas who was standing on the riverbank now, breathing in the fresh air and gazing at the frothy water that tumbled over the moss-covered boulders.

Then, he was holding out his hand to help her step into the small boat. His hand was firm under hers, almost sure enough that she barely felt the wobble under her foot. She sat on—hide? Sure enough, as she touched the cloth on the bottom, it felt like animal skin.

“This vessel is an Irish river currach , lass,” Lucas said as he pushed the boat into the deeper waters. “Another thing I took back from that isle when I came back home.”

“What did ye there?”

“A rite of passage to become a man,” he replied shortly. “Steering a vessel up a river in spate with both oars. Let me tell ye, lass, for a boy of thirteen, that was the hardest thing I have ever done, but I did it.”

Lucas lifted himself into the bed and grabbed both oars, steering them into the middle of the lake. Maisie’s gaze swiveled from him, to the bright stars and to the glistering water around them. Cool night air skittered over her skin as Lucas stopped the boat.

Maisie turned to him, “Why are we staying here?”

He grinned. “Look up to the sky, lass, ye’ll see why.”

Curious, but unwilling to break the gentle mystery that surrounded his words, she did as he said and looked up, breathing in the gentle wind carrying the subtle scent of the pine trees in the forest straddling both sides of the loch’s banks.

As she gazed, right above that forest blanketed in darkness, studying the stretch of ink black sky, dotted with more stars than usual, suddenly, somewhere in the northern sky, a green smudge of light started to materialize from the horizon and slowly grew into dancing rods of shimmering green light which skipped across the sky.

Maisie gripped the edge of the boat and leaned forward, her mouth slipping open as the sky came alive. She gazed with wonder as the ethereal lights shifted and merged, smoke-like into the air, tinging red and pink at times.

“Jesu…” she whispered, enthralled. “What are these things? I’ve never seen them before…”

Even though her words were faint, Lucas heard her and he said, “Me forefathers believed them to be spirits of heather gods or the souls of celestial warriors. Some believe it to be the work of druids or a sign of fruitful years to come.”

She turned to him, “What do ye believe?”

He shrugged, “I’m nay the fanciful sort but I believe it’s a sign of better days to come, happiness, love, all those great things. I ken ye would love it too and that is why I swear to ye by these lights, I will love ye for the rest of me life.”

Maisie’s eyes misted over, and her heart burned inside her. She gently turned in the rocking boat and maneuvered herself to fall into his arms. “I love ye, Lucas.”

He kissed her passionately, his fingers wandering freely, seeking the softest places on her body.

She loved his intensity, his touch, his voice, his scent…

it never failed to put her into a daze. It was precarious but she clung to him, her tiny hands slipping up his arms, then laced together behind his neck.

She leaned into him, her full breasts pressed against his chest.

“Steady lass,” he said. “We’re atop deep waters. While I would love to make love to ye here, there’s nay space.”

“That was nay what I was expectin’,” Maisie laughed. “At least kiss me again.”

Her entire body warmed and tingled as he laid his lips over hers, his tongue parting her lips and sweeping through her mouth while his hands held her close.

Tendrils of heat and wanton passion sparked within her and spread throughout her body.

Her pulse thrummed, and the place between her thighs grew damp.

She wanted more of this—she wanted more of him. Inching toward him, she hoped he was distracted just enough that he would hold her that much closer and felt satisfied when he cupped her bottom. Maisie kissed him harder, inched a little closer—and then the boat rocked.

Mired in desire, she felt when Lucas stretched out a leg, it hitched on the oar, and leaned to the left—and then they capsized into the water. She did even have time to scream when the icy-water rushed into her nose and engulfed her body.

She struck out, reaching for the surface when arm circled her waist, and she was buoyed up. Just after breaking the surface, Maisie gasped in a lungful of air and saw the boat drifting a few yards away. Lucas held her tight, suddenly chuckling in her ear.

Drenched, unhappy and scowling, Maisie grumbled, “That was me fault. I’m sorry.”

He laughed harder, “Aye, it was, but I had me part in it too. Well, our romantic night might be ruined, but I must admit, it was wonderous.”

Clinging to him, she smiled and looked at the skies again. “Aye, it was. Thank ye.”

He dropped a kiss on her shoulder, “Nay ye worry, we’ll have many more to come, and then, I’ll bring a bigger boat.”